In It Deep
by Fawn Hickory
Summary: This is my answer to what would happen if Radar punched Hawkeye. One-shot, written to answer my own question. Listed as humor for something Father Mulcahy does. Don't forget to review!


**M*A*S*H isn't mine, y'all know that. (God I wish it was.) But I love it and I know that lots of other folks do too, and there are only so many episodes so we have to make up our own, don't we? Please R and R. **

The force of the blow blurred Hawkeye's vision, and he blinked rapidly to clear it.

His hand went to his jaw as he looked down into Radar's angry eyes in surprise. He knew he deserved the punch but had never expected it from the mild-tempered company clerk.

Indeed, amidst the anger, Hawkeye could see surprise on Radar's face as well. It didn't last long, though. He turned and stalked out of the Swamp.

From his cot BJ looked after Radar, then at Hawkeye. His eyebrows went way up.

Hawkeye opened his mouth to speak, winced and closed it again.

"You know what, Hawk?"

Hawkeye looked at him.

"I think you made him mad."

Hawkeye glowered at him.

***

The next morning Potter caught Hawkeye by the arm and tilted his chin up to see the bruise better.

"Had to clean up Radar's knuckles. Wouldn't tell me what happened, just that I'd know who when I saw."

"Yeah."

Potter fixed Hawkeye with a piercing look. "What happened?"

"I said something Radar didn't like and he expressed his displeasure in a…-"

"Un-Radar-like," BJ supplied,

"Manner." Hawkeye shrugged.

"Radar was still upset this morning." Potter kept his hold on Hawkeye's arm.

Hawkeye extricated his limb and sighed. "So what am I supposed to do? He already hit me."

Radar came in then, and was careful not to look at Hawkeye. Potter gave Hawkeye a _see?_ look and said, "If I were you, I'd figure something out."

Hawkeye got in line next to Radar. "Morning," he said.

Radar looked at him but said nothing.

"Ah-huh. Well, what do we have today?" Hawkeye looked over the morning's choices and couldn't help but eye Radar's generously filled tray with disbelief and some disgust.

"Have to keep my strength up for my bear." Radar said coldly.

"Radar, I shouldn't-"

"Never mind." Radar went to sit at a full table with Klinger and several nurses.

"Son, I'd say you're in it deep." Potter said.

***

A day passed, and another, and Radar remained ice cold. He spoke civilly to BJ but wouldn't come anywhere near the Swamp.

BJ came into the Swamp and tossed a letter onto Hawkeye's stomach.

"Did you get demoted?"

"Radar gave that to me for you."

"When you see him, tell him I said thanks."

Hawkeye was halfway through the letter when they heard choppers and then the PA announce, "Incoming wounded!"

The mail was thrown onto pillows and the two men ran out the door.

An eternity later (though actually only five hours) in the OR, Hawkeye finished up on one boy and called for another.

Klinger and Radar brought the litter and sat it on Hawkeye's table. They were in the midst of a deluge and Hawkeye had turned away for a moment for a sip of orange juice, held by a nurse, before he called for fresh gloves.

The others were working hard on their own patients; Potter was struggling with heavy bleeding and BJ was repairing some nerve damage. Klinger was assisting Margaret, so the only one to see the patient sit up and grab a scalpel form the tray was Radar.

It took him a moment to find his voice, and just as he yelled, "Hawkeye!" the patient had lashed out and cut Hawkeye across the left arm.

Hawkeye cried out, clutching his arm to his chest and backing as far away as he could in the crowded OR.

The patient swung the scalpel again, his blue eyes glittering.

Klinger and several other corpsmen feinted around him, jumping out of range when he slashed at them. The patient's shattered arm didn't slow him down.

Hawkeye struggled to get a clean towel while still applying pressure to the wound. Then Radar was standing there gripping a towel hard over the cut.

Hawkeye stared down at him in surprise. Radar glanced up at him and the corners of his mouth twitched, just enough to see.

"Radar, I really am sorry." Hawkeye ducked his head and murmured.

"Forget it. I overreacted." His eyes flicked to the yellowed bruise on Hawkeye's jaw.

A bell-like clang jerked both their heads around.

The patient lay on the floor, and Father Mulcahy stood over him; he's dropped him with a metal bedpan over the head.

Hawkeye started to laugh. The priest looked at him, at the man several corpsmen were hauling back onto a stretcher, and then at the bedpan on his hands. He blinked a self-conscious smiled spread across his face.

"For whom the bedpan tolls," Potter said form across the room.

***

The deluge ended, and once everyone had caught some sweet unconsciousness, Radar went to the Swamp and knocked.

Hawkeye looked up and called, "Come."

Radar entered and held put a new deck of cards. He smiled shyly and said, "Wanna play?"

Hawkeye grinned. "Sure."

**This was just a little something I wrote for fun when I was thinking about the time Radar was mad at Hawkeye and the time BJ punched Hawkeye. You know, that's one of the things I love about being a writer. When you wonder 'What would happen if..." you can find out.**

**Anyway, I hope you liked it, now please leave me a review or even a message. I love getting those! Am busy with other M*A*S*H's and will have something new up as soon as possible. **


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